Foldable toilet seat cover

ABSTRACT

A foldable toilet seat cover includes a body having one or more fold lines configured to delineate sections that are configured to fold independent of other sections. The body folds along the sections to permit compact storage and easy transportation. The body contacts a toilet seat and is configured to act as a barrier to germs associated in public restrooms.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of earlier filing date and right of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/841,027, filed 30 Apr. 2019, the contents of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present application relates generally to a cover for a toilet seat that is designed to separate human skin from contact with a toilet seat.

2. Description of Related Art

Toilet seat covers used to protect the human body from germs are plentiful in the world. However, these covers are only a one-time use. After use, a cover is disposed of, and the user of the cover must procure another one for their next bathroom visit. Another problem with these covers is that they will often shift around on the seat when a person sits on the seat. These covers are woefully inefficient at remaining where they were placed on the seat and can therefore cause more accidents than would normally occur. It is important that a toilet seat cover may be used more than once and remain where it was initially placed.

Although great strides have been made with respect to toilet seat covers, considerable shortcomings remain. A new toilet seat cover is required that ideally prevents the introduction of harmful germs and diseases to human skin from the seat of a toilet.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present application to provide a foldable toilet seat cover configured to be reusably deployed onto an upper surface of the toilet seat. The cover is designed to be washable and of a material to permit it to at least grasp or resist sliding in relation to the toilet seat on the bottom surface.

The cover may include a plurality of fold lines that act as hinge points to permit the folding of the cover into sections. The sections overlap and are configured to nestle against one another for easy transportation. A user may unfold and refold the cover multiple times.

Ultimately the invention may take many embodiments. In these ways, the present invention overcomes the disadvantages inherent in the prior art. The more important features have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and to ensure that the present contribution to the art is appreciated. Additional features will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow.

Many objects of the present application will appear from the following description and appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments are capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the various purposes of the present design. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of the application are set forth in the appended claims. However, the application itself, as well as a preferred mode of use, and further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a foldable toilet seat cover according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the foldable toilet seat cover of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the foldable toilet seat cover of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the foldable toilet seat cover of FIG. 1 folded along side fold lines.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the foldable toilet seat cover of FIG. 4 folded along a back fold line.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the foldable toilet seat cover of FIG. 5.

While the embodiments and method of the present application is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the application to the particular embodiment disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the process of the present application as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Illustrative embodiments of the preferred embodiment are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

In the specification, reference may be made to the spatial relationships between various components and to the spatial orientation of various aspects of components as the devices are depicted in the attached drawings. However, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art after a complete reading of the present application, the devices, members, apparatuses, etc. described herein may be positioned in any desired orientation. Thus, the use of terms to describe a spatial relationship between various components or to describe the spatial orientation of aspects of such components should be understood to describe a relative relationship between the components or a spatial orientation of aspects of such components, respectively, as the embodiments described herein may be oriented in any desired direction.

The embodiments and method in accordance with the present application overcomes one or more of the above-discussed problems commonly associated with the prior art discussed previously. Specifically, the toilet seat cover of the present application is designed to cover the upper portion of a toilet seat and to limit contact of the skin against a toilet seat. The seat cover is designed to be folded, for easier handling and storage. The cover is also reusable. These and other unique features are discussed below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The embodiments and method will be understood, both as to its structure and operation, from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description. Several embodiments of the assembly may be presented herein. It should be understood that various components, parts, and features of the different embodiments may be combined together and/or interchanged with one another, all of which are within the scope of the present application, even though not all variations and particular embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should also be understood that the mixing and matching of features, elements, and/or functions between various embodiments is expressly contemplated herein so that one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate from this disclosure that the features, elements, and/or functions of one embodiment may be incorporated into another embodiment as appropriate, unless otherwise described.

Referring now to the Figures wherein like reference characters identify corresponding or similar elements in form and function throughout the several views. The following Figures describe embodiments of the present application and its associated features. With reference now to the Figures, embodiments of the present application are herein described. It should be noted that the articles “a”, “an”, and “the”, as used in this specification, include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

Referring now to FIG. 1 in the drawings, a top view of a foldable toilet seat cover 101 is shown. Cover 101 is configured to rest across at least a top surface of a toilet seat (not shown) to act as a barrier between the user and the toilet seat. This distancing of the user from actual contact with the toilet seat helps to prevent the spread of germs. It is desired that the toilet seat cover 101 be reusable and easy to carry or transport. Cover 101 is configured to have alt least one fold line to allow cover 101 to selectively nestle sections against one another to minimize the overall surface area of its body.

As seen in FIG. 1, seat cover 101 is depicted to show three fold lines 103 a-b that act to delineate different sections of cover 101. As shown, cover 101 includes sections 101 a-d. Two of the three folding points sit in line with each other across the middle of the seat cover and act as side fold lines 103 a. In particular, these separate section 101 a from 101 b and also section 101 d from 101 c. Back fold line 103 b separates sections 101 b and 101 b. These are designed to permit sections 101 a-d to fold up to form a compact carrying configuration (see FIG. 6).

It is understood that one or more fold lines may be used and that the precise number of fold lines or sections of cover 101 may be modified to facilitate a desired operation. As shown in the Figured, the fold lines are perpendicular to an edge of the body (i.e. sections)

The toilet seat cover 101 is designed for multiple uses and would therefore be fashioned from a more durable material than is normally used in present day examples (i.e. paper). For example, cover 101 may be made from a rubberized or composite material to enhance grip on the toilet seat. It is understood that cover 101 may be composed of a single material or a plurality of materials. A coating may be used to enhance grip. In some embodiments, a surface of cover 101 may include a plurality of disposable layers 105. The specific materials used in the composition of this toilet seat cover would not be restricted to a few substances, but instead may be designed and produced from any material desired, such as a silicone or other pliable a cleanable material.

Referring now also to FIGS. 2 and 3 in the drawings, a front and side view of cover 101 is illustrated. Fold lines 103 a and 103 b are depicted in a manner with a hinge point. This is not meant to be limiting. Various methods exist to permit folding of a material. The thickness of the material plays a role as do other qualities and characteristics.

Referring now also to FIGS. 4-6 in the drawings, the steps of folding and unfolding cover 101 are shown. In FIG. 1, the top surface of cover 101 was shown for each section. The bottom surface is understood to be the surface opposite the top surface. In operation, a user folds sections 101 a and 101 d upwards and onto the upper surface of sections 101 b and 101 c. This fold occurs along fold lines 103 a. Portions of the top surfaces of each section are now contacting one another. As seen in FIG. 5, cover 101 is folded along fold line 103 b wherein the bottom surface of sections 101 b and 101 c are in contact. These actions are allowing for the cover to be condensed to a fraction of its original size as seen in the side view of FIG. 6.

It is understood that the precise direction of folding may be reversed and is not meant to be limiting in way of description herein. Folding directions may be towards the front, rear, and/or sides or any combination therein.

The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the application may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified, and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the application. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the description. It is apparent that an application with significant advantages has been described and illustrated. Although the present application is shown in a limited number of forms, it is not limited to just these forms, but is amenable to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A toilet seat cover, comprising: a flexible body having one or more fold lines configured to permit the compact storage of the body; and the body separated into a plurality of sections delineated by the one or more fold lines; wherein the body is configured to be fold along the fold lines such that adjacent surfaces of the plurality of sections contact one another.
 2. The cover of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more fold lines are perpendicular to an edge of the body.
 3. The cover of claim 1, wherein at least one of the fold lines are configured to fold such that adjacent sections of the plurality of sections contact along an upper surface.
 4. The cover of claim 1, wherein at least one of the fold lines are configured to fold such that adjacent sections of the plurality of sections contact along a bottom surface.
 5. The cover of claim 1, wherein the fold lines are configured to fold such that adjacent sections of the plurality of sections contact along both a bottom surface and a top surface.
 6. The cover of claim 1, further comprising: a disposable layer coupled to the surface of the body, the disposable layer configured to selectively detach from the body.
 7. A method of using a toilet, comprising: obtaining a foldable toilet seat cover according to claim 1; locating the foldable toilet seat cover on top of a toilet seat such that a bottom surface of the body contacts a portion of the toilet seat; sitting on the foldable toilet seat cover; and lifting the foldable toilet seat cover off the toilet seat and saving it for a secondary use.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the one or more fold lines are perpendicular to an edge of the body.
 9. The method of claim 7, further comprising: folding the body such that adjacent sections of the plurality of sections contact along an upper surface.
 10. The method of claim 7, further comprising: folding the body such that adjacent sections of the plurality of sections contact along a bottom surface.
 11. The method of claim 7, further comprising: folding the body such that adjacent sections of the plurality of sections contact along both a bottom surface and a top surface.
 12. The method of claim 7, further comprising: removing a disposable layer from a surface of the body. 